Lancet study says more than 1 billion women could face childhood sexual violence by 2023

According to estimates published in The Lancet journal, more than one billion women aged 15 and older worldwide had experienced sexual violence during childhood, while approximately 608 million women were victims of intimate partner violence in 2023.

The highest prevalence of both intimate partner and sexual violence was found to be concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The researchers noted that in these areas, the health effects of violence are exacerbated by higher rates of HIV and other chronic conditions.

In India, the prevalence of intimate partner violence among women aged 15 years and above was estimated at 23%. It is estimated that more than 30% of women and 13% of men aged 15 and older have experienced sexual violence in childhood.

Researchers analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2023, the “largest, most comprehensive effort to quantify health loss across locations and over time.” The GBD study is coordinated by the University of Washington in the US.

“Globally, in 2023, we estimated that 608 million women aged 15 years and older had ever been exposed to IPV (intimate partner violence), and 1·01 billion individuals aged 15 years and older had experienced sexual violence during childhood,” the authors wrote.

Anxiety and major depressive disorders were among the eight leading causes of disability developed as a result of intimate partner violence, while experiencing sexual violence as a child was associated with 14 health outcomes, including mental health and substance use disorders and chronic diseases.

Self-harm and schizophrenia were found to be the leading causes of disability developed due to sexual violence during childhood.

The researchers said addressing violence against women and children is not only a human rights issue but also a vital public health priority that could save millions of lives, improve mental health outcomes and build resilient communities.

She said the findings underscore the urgent need for preventive measures such as strengthening legal frameworks, promoting gender equality, and expanding support services for survivors to reduce health harms caused by violence.

The World Health Organization, in a global report published in November, estimated that more than a fifth of women aged 15-49 in India could be victims of intimate partner violence by 2023, while nearly 30% have been affected during their lifetime.

It says that worldwide, almost one in three, or 840 million, have experienced partner or sexual violence during their lifetime – a figure that has barely changed since 2000.